What do Chinese made guitars have to do with Inter-Cultural Intelligence?
I also wouldn’t have thought about this until I met Iain Wilson from IBC Trading. He joined one of our first Inter-Cultural Intelligence workshops in Belfast in collaboration with BRC Partnership.
There is still a lot of cultural bias when it comes to the origins of an instrument judging by the stereotyping you find in some articles on Chinese produced stringed instruments.
Iain was an inspiration to me as his story shows how Inter-Cultural Intelligence can create unique opportunities in the music business. During the training he mentioned that the Inter-Cultural Intelligence framework puts words to things he was intuitively doing. But it was always hard to find ways to transfer his intuitive ability to build cultural bridges to others. He now feels that with the ICI framework he both has a language and a structure to assist others to become cultural bridge builders.
IBC Trading’s strap-line is: “Global Sourcing and Servicing”. A bold statement, but when it comes to building instruments in China they make it work: at a high level of quality for a reasonable price. IBC understands global markets and knows how to collaborate with partners from other cultures. By creating, strong relationships based on respect and trust they transfer knowledge and skills to build and deliver an excellent product. The fact that IBC Trading builds instruments for some of the top global brands is a testimony to their ability to deliver consistent quality.
I went to visit their office in Belfast after the training and had the privilege of taking a beautifully crafted guitar home. One of the creations of IBC is the Celtone guitar brand and our family home is now blessed with a beautiful Celtone Guitar.
The prototype I received is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. Below follow some pictures and details of the instrument. Thanks Dave Ingham for the technical details on the instrument. Every time I pick it up to play it reminds me of how Inter-Cultural Intelligence can create things that add beauty and music to life; it certainly does in our family.
This guitar is a classic 000 styled guitar.
This body style is easy to hold and play and produces good volume.
It has a very balanced sound with the neck joining the body at the 14th fret allowing access to notes just past the octave if required.
The guitar is constructed using laminated Bubinga back and sides.
Bubinga is often referred to as an African Rosewood. The sound is extremely balanced – not too boomy in the bass or hard in the trebles.
The top is solid western red cedar from North America. This has a very fast response and makes it ideal for finger-style or strumming as it requires very little energy to drive the top so the experience of playing is very lively, like the Bubinga it also produces a very balanced tone with the bass and mids being very mature even in a young instrument.
Internal Bracing is Sitka spruce from N America employed in a traditional forward shifted X pattern.
The neck is African mahogany with an Indian rosewood fingerboard, the bridge is also Indian rosewood.
The neck is fitted with a two way adjustable truss rod conveniently accessed via the sound-hole.
All bindings are solid wood maple and rosewood the rosette is rosewood with abalone.
Bridge pins, saddle and nut are synthetic.
Fingerboard dots are mother of pearl, headstock logo is reconstituted abalone.
The finish is very thin hard wearing high gloss polyurethane.
Machine heads are Chinese closed back and the electronics are Fishman.
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